WHY SUFFERING?

 

 

 

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In last Sunday's mass (Easter Sunday), the monsignor posed the question.... 'Why me?' ... He was referring to man's reaction to suffering. I waited for the answers to that much overused line with bated breath. But the homily went on for extra more lengths yet... it looked like no answers were forthrightly coming. Instead he went on to extoll the significance of the Risen Lord. He pointed to the cross but didn't make the proper effort to jell the whole story (suffering and salvation) into one neat package the parishioners would likely understand. To make a long story short, I came out of it with the same fuzzy brain on the subject as when I entered the church earlier.
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Anyway........
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Why do we suffer?
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Allow me to venture my own thoughts on it...
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We all go through the sieve of suffering. I had and have my share. Through it all I have learned a few things which I would like to share with anyone who would care to stop awhile and listen.
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Suffering has its own significance as joy has when it comes to us. It's significance rolls out greatly to our favor if you pay it close attention.
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THROUGH THE FIRE WE ARE TESTED. ---- Like gold is tested through fire, we are made to go through trials with the sole purpose to bring out the best in us.... new and better strengths, courage, hope, faith, resilience, focus, determination, enlightened spirit. Struggles bring out innate talents and abilities, brilliance and resourcefulness which we thought weren't there at all. We then begin to see ourselves as who we really are.... worthy children of God.
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NO GUTS - NO GLORY ---- We get or receive from life what we put into it. If you are content just watching the world revolve by your lonesome self, nothing great will come to your table. On the other hand, if you believe in big dreams -- in the universe's promise of fulfillment to those who bravely reach out for the stars -- to pushing your gifts and talents towards the goal -- and emblazon the skies with confident prayers of trust and faith, things will begin to shape up and honor your belief.
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DIVINE BLUEPRINT OF OUR LIVES ---- No matter how you see it, no matter through whose eyes you see.... you cannot escape what is very clear -- that life and its struggles are just the blueprint of our lives BY DIVINE DESIGN. Struggles though may come in a diversity of rhyme or reason, size or shape, intensity or importance.. but all of that still are called struggles. Others may call it difficulties, trials, tests, hurdles, hardships, affliction, persecution, discipline, challenges..... different words, same meaning and intent. And it's there because Somebody of great wisdom included it in His divine plan.
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MADE TO GROW ---- Simply said... we are made to grow. It's not a request. Rather it's an expectation coming from the Big Guy upstairs. He expects us to grow. Every time He sees us ---- lazy .. nonchalant .. irresponsible .. content in mediocrity .. foolishly proud and conceited .. rejecting change ----- He pushes the button 'Grow'......... and immediately the trials come pouring down on our stupid and stubborn heads all meant to force us to grow up and grow.
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It might hurt, sure it does. I gnash my teeth, clench my fist, curse the high heavens, blame everybody but myself, cry floods of tears, and ache deeply in my heart....... and yet nothing is changed -- it is still part of life and living.
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BUT for a wonderful reason! By God's design. We have a wise and magnificent GOD! His thoughts, not our thoughts; His ways, not our ways. Thank God it is the way it is.
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I wish wonderful blessings for everyone. God bless you!

FAITH OR NOT FAITH -- MAKE A CHOICE

 

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Woke up to a lovely morning today..... the sun warm and shining brightly (although I may not be as perky with the sun as I am at this early hour when it gets too hot in a few hours, right?) And the thought came to my mind to write about just how wonderful life could be before the perkiness wears off! People never tire hearing or reading about joy, I believe.
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Then she slid into my thoughts.. and my heart went thumping as it felt her pain. I know her story, I know her pain. Well, I reasoned to myself... 'You gotta be kidding! Yesterday's post was a bit on the weary side, to put it mildly. You don't intend to follow it up with another, do you?' .Yeah, I know and friends may think of skipping the reading on this one. That's okay, too.'
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But....
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The tiny unexplained nudge is there to write it just the same. I guess this time.. this is meant for her. So pardon me, my friends, but I have to write....
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Dear Friend,
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Remember the story of Mary and Martha? Jesus said something to Martha who was so busy with chores in the kitchen. Here's how it must have meant ..from the book 'Good Morning... God'.
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"As I said to Martha, I say to you -- don't worry so about all the little details of life. Leave those things to Me. Lay them aside, sit at My feet in your spirit and learn more from Me. That is the important part of life. Then the doing of My will, the obedient, happy trust will follow as a result of your following Me.
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I know and care more about the details of your life than you will ever know. I am always there before you, working things out." ------ Ref: Luke 10:41-42
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Maybe this is not what you may want to here. Maybe you would rather hear someone tell you that he sent over some tangible thing to help you with your problems. That too is good; be thankful. But you can't have that everyday as you work out things hour after hour, week after week, day after day. It's not there 24/7... neither is it a bottomless pit of security and assurance, as the human mind would like to think it is.
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Yet, on second thought, that too may be God working in your life. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts not our thoughts. But definitely He works things out for the better good. Positively.
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We see our troubles as pain, discomfort, struggles and strife.... He sees it as golden opportunities to transform a person to good.. better... and best.
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Life, as we have been told often, is not easy; it never is. We all go through the eye of the needle before we can enjoy the rewards promised us. We all must go through the fire of testing. But what can get us from here to there? FAITH. Faith is our inheritance as children of God. It's God's gift to us. It's ours!
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I write not to offer you magic solutions to your cares and woes, which incidentally I too have (and so do the rest of humanity), but to offer you ----- God's magnificent love for you. YOU!
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We are just a speck -- a tiny dot -- as a minute grain of sand ----- in this whole wide immeasurably huge Universe but can you believe this??? ..... that God sees us? hears us? pays attention to us? and loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us? Oh wow, that is B-I-G!! ----- It's like that lab guy with his microscope zooming in on a tiny object under his lens --- magnified several hundred times?! The lab guy is God... that tiny object is you -- me -- and the rest of the human race. Isn't that fantastic!?! It's mind-blowing!
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Think about it. And our problems... well yes, they could hurt us, beat us to the ground, make us cry rivers of tears, make us bitter till our eyes drop, rouse anger and hate within us turning us into monsters to our family and friends, and too make us wish that comets come crashing down on earth and splinter it to pieces along with our problems. Hey wait, us too?! Awww c'mon spare us, right?! But....
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God is bigger than all those combined a hundred times over.... or even a million. He's not a small God. Don't make Him small.
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Keep up the faith. It's the best you, me, and everybody can do. Without faith.. there is nothing. With God.. everything is possible. God bless YOU!
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Hugs, friends. Thank you for being patient. Blessings to you all!